More Speakers!

Check out these two new speakers for TEDxRedmond: The Spark in All of Us, to be held September 10, 2011! Be sure to click “Register” at the top of the page to sign up to attend TEDxRedmond, and if you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring the event, please email us at info@tedxredmond.com.

Samhita Karnati

Samhita Karnati may seem like any other Honors student–driven, accomplished, and very busy–but the Redmond High School sophomore is also an unusually motivated researcher. While competing in the prestigious, and highly competitive, National History Day (NHD) contest, the then-freshman beat out 86 other national-level entries in the Senior Individual Documentary category (many from students several years older). She won a gold medal and History Channel’s $5,000 scholarship for her documentary, “What Was Promised: Northwest Indian Fishing Rights Debated.” She believes that success in any area needs passion and perseverance, and has translated these values into other aspects of her life including competitive swimming, music, and community service. Samhita hopes to continue competing in NHD the rest of her high school years.

ShaLuJuan Williams

A junior this fall at Henry Foss High School in Tacoma, WA, ShaLuJuan Williams stands out for her dedication to making her community a better place. To this end, she is involved with the YMCA in Youth and Government and Youth Leadership Development, in addition to being Vice-Chair of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council and Secretary of Youth Leading Change. The YMCA featured her as their “Outstanding Youth of the Year” for her work. ShaLuJuan says, “My mom is a single parent of two and has taught me the value of hard work and continues to encourage me to dream big. Unfortunately, not all youth have the same experience, motivation, and support that I do. One of my goals is to encourage other youth to speak up and seek their own motivating force, because you can always achieve anything you want in life.”